When hunting for dental jobs in 2016, it’s important to pay attention to the current job hunting trends. As the average human attention span continues to drop, it becomes even more difficult to grab the attention of potential employers. In fact, recent studies show that the average adult attention span in 2013 was just 8 seconds, which means job seekers need to use that time wisely when working to score a new job. If you’re looking for a new dental job in 2016, here’s a closer look at a few important job hunting trends you’ll need to master.

Trend #1 – Short, Sweet Resumes

One of the most important job hunting trends to remember in 2016 is to keep your resume short and sweet. In fact, in most cases, a one-page resume is the best option. Employers don’t usually look past the first page anyway, so including all the important information in one page is optimal. Other materials, such as testimonial sheets and cover letters, should also be kept to just one page for the best results.

Trend #2 – References are More Important

Many dental job seekers make the mistake of treating reference lists as an afterthought, but they are becoming more important today. While a great resume can help you land an interview, your references can help you land the job by helping you stand out above other qualified candidates. Dental employers often have a list of great candidates and take the time to check out references. Make sure you include your reference list, including full contact information, along with your resume.

Trend #3 – Unconventional Resumes

Technology continues to change the job market, and unconventional resumes are also on-trend for dental job seekers in 2016. Dental assistant and dental hygiene candidates have the chance to pitch themselves in innovative, new ways today. Graphical resumes can effectively show off experience and skills. Online resumes have also become quite popular, and they make it easy for employers to check out the credentials and experience of potential dental employees.

Trend #4 – Social Screening

Social screening has become more popular today, so if you’re looking for dental jobs, expect potential employers to take a look at your electronic footprint. It’s very common for dental employers to do a web search on potential candidates, checking out professional affiliations and social media accounts on the web. Take the time to check out your online accounts, looking at them from a professional perspective to ensure that the content you have posted is appropriate if a potential employer starts looking you up online.

Trend #5 – Showing Solutions

Whether you’re writing a cover letter, polishing your resume, or preparing for an interview, make sure that you work on showing solutions to prospective dental employers. Employers today want to hire dental employees that can offer them solutions to their problems. In a resume, you can highlight ways that you have solved problems in the past. If you’re having an interview for a dental hygiene job, you can bring up instances where you have helped solved problems or offer solutions to current problems the employer may have. Focus on highlighting a problem and then you can show that you are the solution, increasing your chances of landing the dental job you want.